What Is Arabica Coffee and Why Does the Kennedy Town Store Draw Crowds?

A lamppost on Davis Street near the %Arabica store in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, caught fire and emitted thick smoke around 7 p.m. on the 7th. Parts flew off and struck a passing mainland tourist on the head. The visitor was conscious and was taken to Queen Mary Hospital, while officials later ruled out an explosion.

The %Arabica branch sits by the Western District waterfront, next to the area known as the mirror of the sky. Its white exterior and sea view have made it a popular photo stop for mainland visitors since cross-border travel resumed. The Highways Department and the gas company both responded to the incident.

Since the full resumption of cross-border travel, mainland tourists' enthusiasm for visiting Hong Kong has continued to rise. Beyond the traditional shopping and food itineraries, those highly photogenic "internet-famous photo spots" have also become an indispensable stop on the journey. %Arabica, located by the waterfront in Kennedy Town, Western District, has long dominated the must-visit lists on various social platforms thanks to its seaside pure-white exterior and "mirror of the sky" scenery. However, recently, a lamppost on one side of this store suddenly had an accident—smoke, a loud bang, and parts flying off—leaving a passing mainland tourist injured on the head. The incident quickly drew attention, with the Highways Department and the gas company both responding in turn. What exactly caused the incident? What was the scene like? Let's find out together.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

Since the full resumption of cross-border travel, the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong has rebounded significantly. People are no longer satisfied with just tasting Hong Kong-style food and browsing shopping districts; those "internet-famous check-in spots" with extremely high photo output on social platforms have also been added to must-visit lists.

A %Arabica store located by the waterfront in Kennedy Town, Western District, happens to sit right next to the "mirror of the sky" scenery at Western District Pier. The pure white minimalist architectural style combined with the open sea view makes this place frequently appear in various popular recommendation posts, and it has also become a designated photo spot for many netizens when traveling to Hong Kong. However, recently, an unexpected accident occurred here.

According to a report by the Hong Kong media Sing Tao Yuegangtong, around 7 p.m. on the 7th, a lamppost on Davis Street near the Kennedy Town waterfront suddenly caught fire and emitted thick smoke, followed by an explosion, with internal wires exposed. A mainland tourist happened to be passing by and, unable to dodge in time, was injured on the head by parts flying out from the lamppost. After witnessing this, multiple passersby immediately called the police. Firefighters arrived quickly. The tourist was conscious and was taken by ambulance to Queen Mary Hospital for treatment.

It is understood that the lamppost involved is located right next to one side of the internet-famous coffee shop %Arabica, at the boundary with the adjacent restaurant, and is also an extremely popular photo spot on social platforms. Normally, a large number of mainland tourists come here to check in, and customers holding coffee often shuttle back and forth outside this %Arabica.

Some netizens reported that while taking photos at the scene, they also witnessed the process of the lamppost exploding and injuring someone. The loud "bang" was very frightening.

From photos of the scene, it can be seen that the wire protection cover on the lower part of the lamppost involved had been blown off and out of place. Firefighters cordoned off the scene to investigate the cause of the accident and said they would follow up with relevant departments. The case was classified as "damage to government property" and "person accidentally injured."

Affected by this incident, the section of Davis Street between Catchick Street and Kennedy Town New Praya was once fully closed (it was reopened at about 9 p.m. that night), and personnel from Hongkong Electric and the gas company also inspected the scene.

In response to media inquiries, the Highways Department said that after receiving the report, the street lighting maintenance contractor immediately sent personnel to inspect the scene. Based on the internal condition of the lamppost, it was confirmed that the streetlight (No. 39937) had not exploded.

The incident may involve the cover of the lamppost's wiring base, which is suspected to have popped off due to unidentified gas, thereby causing the lamppost cover to loosen. However, the wiring base, power supply cables, and various parts were not damaged, and the streetlight could still operate normally. The gas company also said it believed this accident had nothing to do with gas. The department has, according to the instructions of the firefighters at the scene, suspended the operation of the entire group of streetlights on the same circuit as the streetlight involved, in order to cooperate with the investigation by relevant departments.

Image source: Sing Tao Yuegangtong

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, there may be individual images or texts that have not yet been credited. Please forgive us. If the original author has any disputes, they may contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.